Floor washing machine



N. BOCCASILE FLOOR WASHING MACHINE -July 22, 1941,

File Nov. 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, jl flfialas'fiaaazsz'le, (4 '44 ATTORNEY.

y 1941- N. BOCCASILE FLOOR'WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1938 INVENTOR, Mfifllw 0M316,

ATTORNEY.

#4442414444144444 um t; IIiII n Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR WASHING MACHINE Nicholas Boccasile, Springfield, Mass.

Application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,381

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in floor washing machines.

An object of this invention is to provide, in a floor washing machine, a suction ring for removing washing liquid and dirt, and means for removably supporting the suction ring on the machine frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide,

in a floor washing machine, a combined suction surface, means for automatically varying thepressure thus exerted to compensate for unevenness in the fioor surface, and adjustable means for controlling the pressure thus exerted.

Another important object of this invention is to provide, in cooperation with a floor washing machine including a rotary brush, a confining and suction ring which is easily attached to and detached from the machine proper, whereby the machine may be used as a floor washing machine with the ring attached, or as a floor polisher with the ring removed.

These, and other objects and advantages of this invention, will be clearly and concisely disclosed and described'in the following specification, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Broadly, this invention comprises, in combination with a floor washing'machine having a rotary brush, a confining ring member for confining the washing liquid within the area encompassed by the ring, a resilient cushioning ring removably supported in the confining ring, the confining ring being provided with an annular suction chamber, means for introducing a washing liquid to the floor area within the rotary brush, means for creating a suction within the suction chamber for drawing the washing liquid and dirt from the outer periphery of the brush into the suction chamber, and means for exhausting the suction chamber.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a floor washing machine,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the same,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, at an enlarged scale, of the confining and suction ring member,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the lower part of the floor washing machine, with the suction ring attached,

Fig. 5 is an underside plan view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig, 4,

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of the suction ring, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view illustrating the cleaning gap in the suction chamber and the removable closure therefor.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout. I

A floor washing machine I including a casing 2 and motor 3, is provided with the usual plate 4 operatively connected to the motor 3, to which a cleaning or polishing brush 5 may be removably secured by cooperation of slots 6 in the back plate 1 of the brush 5 and studs 8 on the plate I. The motor 3 may be connected, in any suitable manner, to a source of electric energy by means of the usual flexible electric cable, (not shown). A handle 9, providedwith a cross bar I0, and attached on the casing 2, serves as a convenient accessory by means of which an operator may push or pull the cleaning machine 1 over a floor surface, or other surface to be cleaned. All of the above construction may be considered as common to the art involved.

The invention herein described comprises attachments to the above described construction, and cooperating therewith to accomplish new and useful results supplementing the operation of the revolving brush 5.

The casing 2 is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending bosses or lugs l l having bores l2 in which posts l3 are slidably guided. The posts iii are secured in a ring it, and are threaded at l5 to receive adjusting nuts IS. A compression spring I! is mounted on each of the posts l3 between the lug l2 and nut I8. By means of this construction, the ring I may be detached from the machine I by lifting the machine I until the lugs I2 are clear of the posts l3, The ring I4 is attached to the casing 2 by lowering the machine I into the ring I until the posts iii are engaged in the lugs II. Normally, when the machine I is operating without the ring l4, all the weight of the machine is transferred onto the brush 5. With the ring it attached on the casing 2, a part of the weight of means of the lugs II and springs H. The degree of pressure thus exerted upon the ring l4 may be adjusted to suit conditions by manipulation of the adjusting nuts It, to increase or decrease the compression onthe springs H.

The ring I4 is formed with an annular cavity or recess l8, in which a resilient confining member i9 is removably supported. The member l9 comprises two tubular rings 20, preferably of soft rubber, one superposed above the other, and both enclosed within a casing 2| of leather. The

, member I9 projects below the ring |4 into contact with a floor surface 22, and the leather casing 2|, when wet, provides a smooth, slippery surface in contact with the floor, thus reducing the friction to be overcome in pushing the machine over the floor to a When the portion of the leather casing 2| in contact with the floor becomes worn, the member I9 may be removed, reversed, and replaced, thus presenting a new surface to the floor. The double feature of the member ID provides a particularly resilient confining ring around the brush 5 which closely hugs the floor and automatically adjusts itself to unevenness in the floor surface. The confining member l9 and ring, l4 completely enclose the brush 5, and confine the washing liquid and dirt loosened by action of the brush 5 within the member l8. Thus, the objectionable spread and splash of dirty liquid over adjacent floor areas, walls, and furniture, caused by the centrifugal action of the usual unguarded rotary brush, is entirely eliminated.

The ring member I4 is also formed, at its inner and lower rim, with an annular suction chamber 23 and at its inner upper rim with a second annular chamber 24. The chambers 23 and 24 are connected by a plurality of vertical passages 25. The suction chamber 23 is provided with a plurality of openings 26 directed toward the floor surface 22, and is also formed with a cleaning gap 21, normally closed by plugs 28 engaged in openings 29 and held in position by means of a compression spring 30. If bristles from the brush 5, or other foreign substances, are drawn into the chamber 23 through the openings 26, the chamber 23 may be cleaned by removing the spring 38 and plugs 28 and running a cleaning wire through the chamber 23.

The chamber 24 is connected by means of a passage 3| to a nipple 32 which is removably secured on a threaded boss 33 on the ring M by a coupling nut 34. A suction pump 35, secured on a boss 36 on the casing 2 and driven by means of pulleys 31 and 38 and belt 39 operatively connecting the pump 35 and motor 3, is provided with a nipple 48 similar to the nipple 32, and the nipples 32 and 40 are connected by a flexible conductor 4|. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the nipples 32 and 40 are long enough to permit sliding movement of the conductor 4| thereon to compensate for relative movement between the ring l4 and the casing" 2, which may be caused either by unevenness in the floor surface or by wear on the bristles of the brush 5. When it is desired to remove the'ring l4 from the machine I, the connection between the ring l4 and the pump 35 is easily broken by unscrewing either of the coupling nuts 34 or 34, or by pulling the flexible conductor 4| off of either the nipple 32 or the nipple 40. A discharge tube 42 is connected to the pump 35 and secured on the handle 7 v 9 by any'suitable means, such as clips 43, and

provides means for conveying the discharge from the machine is transferred to the ring l4 by the pump 35 to any convenient disposal system the brush 5 and deposited upon the floor surface 22 within the brush 5 by means of a pipe, tube, or conductor 41, secured on the handle 9 by clips 48, and connected to a pipe 58 secured on the casing 2 by a flexible conductor 5|, nipple 52, and coupling nut 34 A shut-ofi and reducing valve 53 on the pipe 41 provides means for shutting off th supply of washing liquid and foradjusting the pressure thereof to properly balance the exhaust of the pump 35. The pipe 50, (see Fig. 4), directs the inflow of washing liquid onto the back plate 1 of the brush 5. This back plate 1 is provided with a plurality of holes 54, through which the washing liquid drops to the floor surface 22 within the brush 5. Centrifugal action of the rotating brush 5, as the machine is moved over the floor, forces the washing liquid outwardly to the periphery of the brush, and the scouring action of the brush loosens the dirt on the floor. is picked up by the washing liquid, and the liquid and dirt are sucked into the chamber 23 of the ring l4, thence through the passages 25 into the chamber 24, thence through the passage 3|, nipple 32, and tube 4! into the pump 35, from which they are exhausted through the pipe 42.

When it is desired to use the machine I for a polishing machine, the tube 4| is disconnected from the pump 35, the belt 39 disengaged from its pulleys 31 and 38, and the machine I is then lifted out of the ring l4. If desired, the pipes 42 and 41 may also be disconnected from the conductors 42' and 41', and thus disengaged from the handle 9, by release of the coupling nuts 34 adjacent the upper clips 43 and 48.

It will thus be understood, by those skilled in the art, that by means of this invention, all washing liquid, soil, dirt, and the like are efliciently confined within the ring I9 and exhaused therefrom through the pump 35, and, as the machine is moved over the floor surface, the floor is left clean and reasonably dry, without any deposit of unsightly residue.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a ring member encircling and enclosing the brush of the machine for confining and exhausting the washing liquid used in said machine, said ring member being formed with an annular channel .open at the bottom, a resilient tubular ring removably supported in said annular channel, said ring member being also formed with an annular suction chamber adjacent its lower, inner rim and a plurality of downwardly directed openings communicating with said chamber, guide posts on said ring for slidable and removable engagement in bored lugs on the casing of said machine, communicating means between said suction chamber and a pump on said machine including a detachable coupling, whereby said ring member may be attached to and detached from said machine at will.

2. In a machine of the character described, an exhaust ring formed with an annular chan- The loosened dirt between said exhaust port, and the pump of said machine.

3. An attachment for a floor washing machine having a rotary brush enclosed in a cylindrical casing, comprising a metallic ring encircling said brush, vertical posts on said ring for slidable engagement on said casing, said ring being formed with an annular recess open at the bottom of the ring, a resilient confining member removably supported in said recess and comprising two resilient tubes, one superposed above the other and both enclosed in a leather casing.

4. A removable attachment for a floor washing machine having a rotary brush enclosed in a casing and an exhaust device, comprising a metallic ring for encircling said brush, means for slidably supporting said ring on said casing, said ring being formed with an annular recess open at the bottom of the ring, a resilient confining member removably supported in said recess and comprising two resilient tubes, onesuperposed above the other and both enclosed in a smooth surfaced, flexible casing, said ring being provide'd with communicating exhaust ports, a nipple on said ring communicating with said exhaust ports, and disconnectible communicating means on said nipple for connecting said exhaust ports to said exhaust device.

5. An attachment for a machine of the character described, comprising a ring member formed with an annular channel open at the bottom, a resilient confining ring removably supported in said channel and including two resilient tubes, one superposed above the other and both enclosed in a leather casing, said ring member being formed with an annular suction chamber adjacent its lower, inner rim, said ring member being provided with a pluralityof circumferentially spaced openings communicating with said suction chamber, means for removably securing said ring member on said machine, and means for removably connecting said suction chamber to an exhaust device on said machine.

6. An attachment for a floor washing machine having a rotary-brush, comprising a ring mem ber for encircling the brush, a resilient tubular cushion removably supported in said ring member and projecting below the bottom edge of said ring member, said ring member being formed with an annular suction chamber adjacent its lower, inner edge, said ring member being provided with a plurality of spaced openings communicating withsaid suction chamber, said suction chamber being formed with a cleaning gap, removable means for closing said gap including plugs inserted in the ends of the suction chamber and a compression spring for holding said plugs in position.

' v NICHOLAS BOCCASILE. 

